Twelve members of a family were among the people who died in a flood that occurred at Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa communities in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State late Wednesday night.

The flood, which was said to have left many other persons, including over 50 Almajirai missing, destroyed many houses.

Mokwa is known as a resting and parking point for travelers and heavy-duty vehicles, making it one of the busiest towns in Niger State.

Daily Trust gathered that many of the victims of the incident, believed to be caused by a torrential downpour on Wednesday night, were children and women.

Although the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed 21 dead, residents said the casualty figure could be over 60.

A student of the Niger State College of Health Technology, identified as Binta, who was in Mokwa for holidays, was among the victims. Her body was said to have been recovered.

A resident of the area, Hajiya Hassana Mokwa, told Daily Trust that 12 of the 13 members of her brother?s family died in the incident; while the only survivor was hospitalised.

She said the incident also claimed the lives of some pupils of a Quranic school owned by her cousin.

?In my brother?s house, they were 13 in number and only one person survived and is currently at the hospital.

?Many Almajirai pupils in a Quranic school being operated by our cousin also died. Nobody survived in that house and the entire building was submerged. If you go there now, you won?t know if they ever built a house there.

?There is a one-storey building which was a residential building. It was completely submerged. As I speak with you, nobody has ascertained the number of people in the rubbles of that building?, she said.

She said as of 7pm yesterday, funerals were being held for those whose bodies had been recovered.

Also speaking to Daily Trust, another resident, one Mallam Hamza Mahmud, said bodies of two members of his family had been recovered; while three others were still missing.

The body of a pregnant woman was also recovered around 6pm and four of her children are missing.

Sources said over 50 pupils of another Quranic school were yet to be accounted for as of 7pm yesterday.

One of the sources, Alhaji Baba Adamu, said: ?The victims are mostly women and children. There are male adults, but they are not up to the number of women and children who died. ?The body of a woman was recovered around 6pm. There is also a Quranic school where most of the pupils have not been found.?

The flood was also said to have cut off the major road linking the North and the South through Mokwa, causing a gridlock.

Residents told Daily Trust that 60 bodies were recovered and over 50 others were missing.

The chairman of Mokwa Local Government Area, Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, who spoke to our correspondent via telephone, said15 bodies had been recovered as at 12 noon.

He said the displaced persons were being sheltered in public primary schools in Mokwa.

?A lot of lives have been lost. So far, 15 bodies have been recovered, and a lot of properties have been destroyed.

?The flood was as a result of the rainfall yesterday (Wednesday). It was caused by the excess water which flowed from the Zugurma axis; though Mokwa town has erosion challenges.

?The victims are in dire need of intervention because currently, some of them have been camped in public primary schools. We also need medical assistance for the victims because some of them have been affected psychologically and by environmental pollution,? Muregi said.

A resident, Mallam Bala Umar, said as of 1pm, over 20 bodies had been recovered.

?The extent of destruction and number of lives lost have not been ascertained because up till this moment, bodies are being recovered from the water.

?This water flowed from somewhere that we don?t know. The rain that fell in the night was not that heavy.

?Travelers are stranded because movements of vehicles to the south and from the north have stopped as the road is cut off,? he said.

Another resident, Tswata Mai Rubutu, stated: ?Many families have lost homes, businesses have been destroyed, and precious belongings swept away?.

The Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed to Daily Trust that 21 bodies were recovered and 10 persons were missing.

He said over 50 houses were destroyed. Arah said three people?a mother and her two children?were rescued and taken to the hospital for medical attention.

?NSEMA is in receipt of a report of a deadly flood disaster that ravaged two communities of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa town of Mokwa LGA.

?The incident occurred last night during a torrential downpour of very high intensity that lasted several hours. The surging flood water submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses with their occupants.

?In response, the agency, in collaboration with Mokwa LG authority, local divers and very brave volunteers, is conducting search and rescue operations.

?Twenty-one corpses have so far been recovered of those who sadly lost their lives in the incident, while over 10 persons are still missing as search and rescue efforts continue,? he said.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Mohammed Bago, has sympathised with the victims and their families. The governor, in a message through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, described the incident as saddening, heartbreaking and pathetic.

?I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and property in the unfortunate incident, and pray that Allah will grant the deceased eternal rest?, he said.

He directed the Niger State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant stakeholders to take immediate necessary actions, as well as assess the situation to ascertain the level of destruction, with a view to bringing succour to those affected.

He called on the people of Mokwa to remain calm, saying the state government would work to ensure the safety of everyone.

N-HYPPADEC speaks

The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), in a statement by Nura Tanko Wakili, Head of Press and Public Affairs, described the incident as catastrophic.

?The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has received with deep shock the tragic news of the flash flooding that occurred in Mokwa, Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.

?Preliminary reports indicate that the flood swept away hundreds of properties and left several persons, including children, unaccounted for. The incident has left the entire community devastated and in distress.

?The commission expresses its profound concern over this unfortunate disaster and offers heartfelt prayers for God?s divine intervention. We also pray for comfort and strength for the affected families, the entire Mokwa community, and the Niger State Government during this difficult time.

?As we assess the situation and prepare for an appropriate response, we urge residents to remain vigilant and comply with safety directives from relevant emergency and disaster management agencies to prevent further loss.

?We also appeal to all relevant stakeholders to act swiftly in providing relief and support to cushion the impact of this disaster on the affected communities. N-HYPPADEC remains committed to working with all partners to bring timely assistance and long-term solutions to communities in distress,? the statement read.

Expert urges action

An agricultural expert, Dr. Sadeeq Abubakar Mohammed of the Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Minna, who is also the national president of the Association of Nigerian Inventors (ANI) called for urgent interventions to prevent reoccurrence.

?The construction of dams, dykes and improved drainage systems is critical at this point. We need to invest in these flood control infrastructure to protect lives and livelihoods, particularly in our farming communities,? he stated.

Sadiq warned that without immediate and strategic interventions by the federal and the state governments, the situation could lead to food crisis.

He recommended strengthening early warning systems and enforcing land use regulations to protect farms and settlements in high-risk flood zones.

He stated: ?Prevention is more sustainable and cost-effective than repeated disaster response.

?The situation in Mokwa has reached a critical stage, with homes on the brink of collapse, access roads cut off, and farmlands being destroyed. The livelihoods of the people are in jeopardy, and the risk of loss of life increases daily?especially with the onset of the rainy season.

?The scale of devastation is beyond the capacity of Mokwa?s residents to manage.?

Past flood incidents in Mokwa

Mokwa LGA has long suffered severe flooding, leading to loss of lives, farmlands and property worth millions of naira.

In April 2025, flooding killed at least three people and destroyed over 10,000 hectares of rice farms. The disaster was reportedly caused by the release of water from the Jebba Hydroelectric Power Dam. The affected communities included Ceganman, Sunti, Jaagi, Ketso, Kpanbo, Kpaceta, Zhiwu, Wuci, and Tate?all in Mokwa LGA.

Some parts of neighbouring Kwara State were also affected.

Mokwa was also among 19 local government areas severely affected by the 2024 rainy season flooding.

In September 2024, at least 41,192 people and 6,865 households were affected across the 19 LGAs, including Mokwa. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency reported 11 deaths and displacement of 34 communities at that time.

In August 2023, no fewer than 15 communities were washed away in Mokwa LGA, according to data from the state emergency agency.

Victims of previous floods said they received no substantial assistance from either the state or federal government.

Abdulrahman Abdulkadir Wuye-Kede, president of the Kede Youth Development Association told Daily Trust that ?2024 was the worst flood year in our communities. Despite media reports and documentaries, nothing came to us.

?Government promised food, building materials, and clothes, but we have not seen anything.?

Abdulkadir added, ?If you communicate via television, many of our people don?t have electricity. NiMet should collaborate with youth and community associations to get the message across in local languages. The National Orientation Agency is city-based and out of touch with rural realities,? he said.

Residents said Mokwa town had lived with erosion problems for decades, leaving many homes and businesses vulnerable.

They said the gully erosion was encroaching on residential areas and critical infrastructure.

Anguwan Hausawa, one of the worst-hit areas in Wednesday?s flooding, is also among the neighborhoods most affected by erosion.

MD Tswata Mai Rubutu, a resident, said the floodwaters, suspected to have come from the Kainji area via New Bussa, used existing erosion channels to enter the town.

?Actually, erosion has been part of our problem since the creation of Mokwa. We?ve been battling with it for years. Efu Abebe area and Anguwan Hausawa area are the ones with the worst erosion cases.

?The former senator for Niger South, Senator Muhammad Bima Enagi, was working on that before the end of his tenure. The water came from Kainji via New Bussa road,? he said. (Daily Trust, but headline rejigged)

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